Modoc County Record - March 4, 2004 Harold C. Ascherman, Jr Harold Calvin Ascherman, Jr., age 80, passed away in his Cedarville, Calif. home on March 1, 2004. Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 5, 2004, at the Cedarville Community Church, followed by a private graveside service. Mr. Ascherman was a 38-year resident of Surprise Valley. He was born on September 2, 1923, to Cal and Nell Ascherman of Petaluma, Calif. He was in the military service in the Army Air Force during World War II as a private first class. He married Ruby Kathleen Hope of Illford, England June 27,1945. They were married for 58 years and had four children. Harold and his family moved to Fort Bidwell, Calif. in 1966, and to Cedarville, Calif. in 1985. Harold was a retired grocer. He was a long-time member of the Fort Bidwell Volunteer Fire Department, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars and an active member of the Seniors Valley 50 Club. Preceding Harold in death were his sister Marjorie Genola of Calistoga; his son Eric John Ascherman who passed in 1963, and two granddaughters, Faith Leann Ascherman (1995) and Hope Leann Ascherman (1979). He is survived by his wife Ruby, sons Butch and Guy Ascherman of Redding, Calif.; daughter Evelyn Reeves of Lake City, Calif.; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Donations can be made to the Surprise Valley Hospital District, P.O. Box 246, Cedarville, CA 96104 or to the Valley 50 Club. Kerr Mortuary is handling arrangements. James 'Randy' Lybarger James Randall "Randy" Lybarger passed away peacefully at his home in Portland, Oregon on February 25, 2004. Randy was born on July 22, 1950, in Alturas, Calif. and graduated from Modoc High School in 1968. He worked various jobs, including working for the University of Oklahoma in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He went to work at Pacific Northwest Bell, now Qwest, where he was also active as a union steward, until his disability retirement in 1996. Randy loved rock hounding and was always in pursuit of antiques and collectibles. His house is a myriad of exciting, unusual and sometimes rare objects. Randy is survived by his three sons, Richard, Chad and Evan of Lowell, Oregon; two grandchildren; brother Larry Lybarger of Puyallup, Washington; and his beloved Candy Monegan. Chesley Hillman DeForest Chesley Hillman DeForest died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Loma Rica, CA. on February 21, 2004. A service will be held at the Adin Community Church, Adin, CA. on Saturday, March 6 at 1 p.m. Rich Bath will officiate. Friends, neighbors and family members are invited to attend a potluck gathering at the Adin Community Hall, following the services. Ches was born in Johnstonville, California on November 11, 1916 to Charles Vaden and Christine Violet Hill DeForest. He was one of 13 children. He attended grammar schools in Standish, Johnstonville, and Buntingville, all places where his parents had ranches, and he attended high school in Susanville. Upon graduation, Ches' father took him to Ash Valley to work for an old family friend, Thad Bath. He spent four years in Ash Valley and then went on to work for Masten Ramsey at Madeline, and later Allie Clough at Los Molinos. In 1941, Ches volunteered for military service and became one of the 196 men of Company E of the 161st Army infantry regiment. He was on the first boat to leave Fort Lewis, Washington heading for Hawaii when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He fought at Guadalcanal, New Caledonia, Vella Larela, and New Georgia Island. When his company was granted rest in New Zealand, there were only 70 men left in the company. Ches was never seriously injured, but did contact malaria. He was discharged in 1945. Because of a fire and loss of records at Army headquarters, Ches finally received his war medals in the mail on February 11, 2004. On November 24, 1945, he married the love of his life, Grace Margaret Bath. They raised a wonderful family of five children. Throughout the years, Ches, with pride and dedication, worked on ranches for Masten Ramsey and the Flournoys of Likely, T.H. Richards of Oregon House, and Bob Obrien of Loma Rica. Upon retiring in 1987 he and Grace moved to their own place on the Loma Rica Road. Here, Ches continued to raise registered Hereford cattle and America Quarter Horses. In recent years Ches and Grace enjoyed their summers in Adin and winters in Loma Rica. As a respected member of the communities he lived in, and strong supporter of youth activities, Ches served on the Oregon House School Board, President of the Yuba County 4-H Council, Community 4-H Leader, and Livestock Superintendent at the Yuba County Fair. He supported the Yuba Sutter and Intermountain Fairs' 4-H and FFA Livestock Auctions. Ches and Grace were members of the Loma Rica Community Church. Ches loved to rope and be on horseback. In his earlier years he was a fierce competitor in team roping. He loved to rope at brandings. He knew cattle and was a great cowman. He enjoyed being with family and friends, both new and old. And he adored his grandchildren. Ches is survived by his wife, Grace of Loma Rica and Adin, CA.; daughter Cheryl DeForest, Loma Rica, CA.; daughter and son-in-law Beverly and Darrell "Bo" Tipton, Loma Rica; sons and daughters-in-law Tom and Kathy DeForest; Paul and Karin DeForest, Ash Valley, Calif.; and Charles and Becky DeForest, Wheatland; brother Gilbert DeForest, Cottonwood; brothers and sisters-in-law Ralph and Nancy DeForest, Likely; and Gay and Sunny DeForest, Empire, NV.; sister Bonnie DeWitt, Elko, NV. sister and brother-in-law Flora and Donald Genkinger, Sparks, NV. and 12 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, Charles Vaden DeForest; mother, Christine Violet Hill DeForest; brothers Lawrence Vaden DeForest, Jesse Levoy DeForest, Charles Jr. DeForest, and Thomas Frazier DeForest; and sisters: Betty Jo DeForest Yeakey, Helen Marie DeForest Beterbide, and Marjel Christine DeForest. A service was also held at the Loma Rica Community Church, Loma Rica on February 25. Contributions in memory of Ches DeForest may be made to the Intermountain Cattlewomen Scholarship Fund, Box 161, McArthur, CA. 96056, or to a charity of choice. Edrie Leona "Teddy" Hays Edrie Leona 'Teddy' Hays, 99, Bonanza, OR. died February 22, 2004, of natural causes in Klamath Falls, OR. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Bonanza Memorial Park in Bonanza with the Rev. Billy Hamblin officiating. Visitation is until 5 p.m. today in O'Hair and Riggs Funeral Chapel. Mrs. Hays was born February 11, 1902, in Coos Bay to Charles Eugene and Julia Etta (McGee) Gallop. She also lived in Coos Bay until moving with her family in 1910 to Fort Bidwell, where she enjoyed many of the community activities and met her future husband at a function in nearby Lake City. After graduating from Fort Bidwell High School, she moved to Los Angeles and attended a business school there. She later returned to the Surprise Valley and in 1927 married William J. "Bill" Hays in Lake City. They made their home on the Lake City Ranch, living there until moving to Ashland in 1944. When all of her children had reached school age, she went to work as the school cook for Bellview Elementary School. In 1959, she and her husband purchased a ranch at Malin, where they grew hay and grains and raised sheep and cattle. They retired in 1964 and moved to Langell Valley. Mrs. Hays then worked for several seasons sorting potatoes for L.K. Produce. Her husband preceded her in death in 1976. She was a member of Klamath County Home Extension for more than 50 years. While living in the Surprise Valley, she enjoyed gardening and canning produce. At the annual Modoc Fair, she won numerous awards for her canning, baking and sewing projects. In Langell Valley, she was active in the Langell Valley Sewing Club. She enjoyed reading and crocheted a countless number of afghans that she gave as presents to friends and family members. She also enjoyed attending sports activities, especially baseball and basketball, of her children and grandchildren and watching birds that visited her yard. Survivors include her daughter Lois Jean Struve of Bonanza; son William J. "Bill" Hays of Soldotna, Alaska; grandchildren and their spouses Vicky and Charles Ward of Wasilla, Alaska, Cindy Hays of Soldotna, Jeannie and Larry Bopp of Modesto, CA. Ray and Chris Struve of Malin and Carol Matense of Bend; great-grandchildren Jevon Struve and his wife Merridith, Lawson Struve, Kevin Mauseth, Kenny Bopp and his wife Becky, Roger Bopp and his wife Debbie, Tyler Brown, Emily Brown, Chayna Ward and Charles Ward Jr.; great-great-grandchildren Jon, Mike and Justin Bopp and Jordan and Anna Struve. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her sister Vida Hanks and brother Everett Gallop. Memorial donations may be made to Bonanza Ambulance, P.O. Box 363, Bonanza, OR. 97623. ~~~~~~ Billie C. & Anita 'Jean' Reynolds Family Researcher of "The Last Frontier" Modoc County, California --- Our outgoing mail is checked by ZoneAlarm AntiVirus.